Advanced Options

Options

Proxy server

If you are using a proxy server for access to the FTP server (usually on the Internet),
specify settings for this proxy server here. A proxy server is an intermediary between
local network (intranet) and the Internet. Choose Default to use settings for the
proxy server specified in Configuration/Defaults. If you
do not need to use a proxy server, select Not Used. To add settings for a proxy server
click the Add button, it opens the Add/Edit Proxy Server
dialog box. You can add more settings for proxy servers and later just choose which
one to use.

Target panel path

If you specify some path here, it will be displayed in inactive (target) panel when you
connect to the FTP server. If you do not want to change the current directory in inactive
panel, leave this edit box empty.

Connect to port

Specify a port where the FTP server waits for connections. It is usually 21 (default FTP
server port).

Choose the mode for transferring of files. Select Default to use the
transfer mode specified in Default file transfer mode section in
Configuration/Defaults. See this option also for
more information on transfer modes.

Command for listing

Specify what command should be used to receive the plain text listing of
the current directory from the FTP server. FTP protocol contains two commands for listing: LIST (default) and NLST
(name list). Some Unix FTP servers require an option "-a" behind the LIST command
to list also hidden files and directories.

Initial FTP commands

You may need to send some auxiliary FTP commands to the FTP server whenever you
connect to it. Enter the list of such commands here, the list is separated by ';'
character (e.g. "CWD []; HELP"). Commands will be send to the FTP server immediately
after the successful login. If you do not want to send any command, leave this
edit box empty.

Keep connections alive (prevents server from disconnecting you due to no activity)

When checked, the FTP client tries to keep its connections alive. It means that if the FTP
client is not sending commands or transferring data to/from the FTP server for longer than
specified time, it starts periodical sending auxiliary commands or making auxiliary data
transfers. This should prevent closing the connection by the FTP server due to no activity
or no data transfer (usually after 5 or 10 minutes). Leave this check box in the third state
if you want to use default settings (see Keep connections alive in
Configuration/Defaults). Clear this check box to disable
the keep connections alive feature.

When checked, choose a command which is sent to keep the connection alive (when the
connection is not used to communicate with the server nor to send any data). NOOP and
PWD commands are not transferring any data. If your FTP server closes connections due
to no data transfer, use NLST or LIST commands. We recommend to use the NLST command
because it transfers less data (the current path listing containing only filenames).
Moreover specify a period of sending keep alive commands and when to stop sending keep
alive commands.

Use passive transfer mode (may help if you are behind firewall or proxy server)

When checked, data connections are opened in the passive mode. It means that the FTP client
opens data connection by connecting to the supplied port on the FTP server. When cleared, data
connections are opened in the active mode. It means that the data connection is opened by
the FTP server by connecting to the supplied port on the FTP client. This mode is problematic
if the FTP client is behind firewall or proxy server because they can block access to the FTP
client (if they have not support for FTP protocol). The passive mode is not supported by some
FTP servers (only few), you have to use active mode for accessing these FTP servers. Leave this
check box in the third state if you want to use default settings (see Use passive transfer
mode in Configuration/Defaults).

Use cache for viewed files and lists of files and directories on server (faster browsing)

When checked, all viewed files and all path listings (lists of files and directories)
from the FTP server are cached. It allows to use these cached files and listings when they
are requested next time. Advantage is faster browsing of already visited directories and viewing
of already viewed files. Disadvantage is that listings and files could be changed and when they
are taken from the cache, they can be out of date. Use the
Refresh command to reset
cache for the current directory and all its subdirectories (it removes all listings and all viewed
files from cache). Cached files are stored in the temporary directory. Cached listings are
stored in the memory cache, you can limit the size of this cache, see Size limit for memory
cache in Configuration/Advanced. Leave this check box in
the third state if you want to use default settings (see Use cache for viewed files and lists
of files and directories on server in Configuration/Defaults).
Clear this check box if you do not want to use any cache.

Communication over the FTP protocol uses one control connection to transfer commands and login information.
Then there are several data connections, each is used exactly for one transfer
(in any direction) of one file or directory listing.
The FTP plugin supports secure TLSv1/SSLv3 encryption using the AUTH TLS command
specified in the RFC 4217 document. This way of encryption is sometimes called FTPES,
i.e. FTP with Explicit SSL, but generally it is called FTPS, i.e. FTP-SSL.
If the server supports it (public servers usually don't),
the plugin can encrypt the communication. You can choose whether you wish to encrypt
the control connection only (to hide your password) or also the data connections (to hide everything).
These two check boxes are enabled only on Windows 2000 and later systems because FTPS is not supported on older systems.

Compress data transfers if server supports compression (MODE Z)

When checked, the plugin attempts to compress all data transfers (downloads and uploads, plus directory listings
obtained from the server). No error is reported when the server does not support compression.
However, you can check if compression is used: Check the result of the MODE Z command at the end of the Welcome
Message or look for MODE Z just before the SYST or first PWD command in the FTP log.
Leave this check box in the third state if you want to use default settings (see Compress data transfers if
server supports compression (MODE Z) in Configuration/Defaults).